Venetian blind structure



March 26, 1957 c. s. EVANS 2,786,521

VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE Original Filed Nov. 4, 1947 United StatesPatent- VENETIAN BLIND STRUCTURE Charles S. Evans, Atherton, Calif.,assignor to Calnetian Blinds, Incorporated, Oakland, Calif., acorporation of California Continuation of application Serial No.784,012, Novemb2]; 4, 1947. This application July 14, 1953, Serial No. 3,854

Claims. (Cl. 160178) This application is a continuation of my copendingapplication Serial Number 784,012, filed November 4, 194-7, nowabandoned.

My invention relates to Venetian blinds, and particularly to means forsecuring the blind slats in the ladder tape.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of improved meansfor detachably connecting the rung tapes to the slats.

The invention possesses other objects, some of which with the foregoingwill 'be set forth at length in the following description wherein areexplained those forms of the invention which have been selected forillustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification. In said drawings, illustrative forms of the invention areshown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to those forms,since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied in aplurality of other forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal sectional View of a portion of a Venetian blindembodying my invention. The view is taken through one of the laddertapes immediately above a pair of rung tapes and the snap slide disposedthereon. A slat resting on the next lower pair of rung tapes, and brokenaway on each side of the ladder tape is shown.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the blindstructure, showing a slat engaged on a snap slide which in turn rests ona pair of rung tapes. The plane of section is just inside the front webof the ladder tape.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are respectively side elevation, top and bottom viewsof the snap slide shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of slat, showing the socket memberof the snap fastener, the stud member of which is on the slide. 1

Figures '7, 8 and 9 show another embodiment of my invention, Figure 7being a side elevation of a piece of slat in which the stud of the snapfastener is fixed. Figures 8 and 9 are respectively plan and verticalsection of a snap slide including a socket. The plane of section ofFigure 9 is indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are respectively plan, elevation and bottom viewsof another embodiment of my invention; and 7 Figures 13, 14 and 15 arerespectively plan, elevation and 'bottom views of still anotherembodiment.

The scale of Figures 1 and 6 is approximately full size,

but each of the other figures is drawn to a scale of approximately 1 /2to l. i

The Venetian blind art is an old one. Venetian blinds were in use in theUnited States before the Revolution,

but in spite of many advantages, the housewife has alto the slatsusually required a skilled workman and dis proportionate expense.

The problem of providing a Venetian blind with readily removable slatshas'long been an attractive one; and inventors have approached it inmany ingenious ways, but never before have all the elements of theproblem been harmonized to produce a structure which the public wouldaccept. These elements include cost of manufacture, mechanicalstructure, method of operation, and appearance. No Venetian blindstructure can secure wide public acceptance which is not sold at a pricethe careful purchaser will pay, or which varies too widely from thefamiliar forms, or which embodies strange or questionable mechanisms orwhich is not operable by simple means in a way immediately apparent tothe nonmechanical mind.

It is believed that the present invention combines to an unusual degreethe qualities required for a reasonably good compliance with the demandsimposed by the above named elements. A Venetian blind embodying thisinvention does not differ in general appearance from the older andfamiliar blinds. When organized on the same basis, the cost ofmanufacture need be no greater, and may be less than the older blind.The structure is of the simplest and its use and operation areimmediately apparent.

Venetian blind ladder tape is mainly of two broad types, woven or warpthread rungs arranged in staggered formation between vertical webs, anddouble or twin-cord rungs evenly spaced on the webs. The staggered rungtapes while low in production costs distribute stresses unevenly on thewebs, and contribute to a tendency to uneven folding of the webs whenthe blind is raised. The twin-cord rungs impart a degree of undesirablestiffness to the Webs, and the tape is more expensive to produce.

The ladder tape which I prefer to use, provides twin rung tapes of warpthread or string type, or of woven type interwoven at their ends in thevertical Webs. This tape may be produced with looms and by methodsanalogous to those currently in use to produce the staggered single rungtape; and it is characterized by the fact that the rung tapes of eachpair are spaced the same distance apart throughout the length of theladder tape; and are also evenly spaced on each side of a vertical planethrough the longitudinal center line of each web.

Referring first to Figure l, the two vertical webs 2 and 3 of the laddertape are connected at equal intervals vertically by the twin rung tapes4 and 5. The rung tapes are of the fully woven type or string type, andare woven into the vertical Webs during the weaving of the latter.

A slat 7, preferably of thin metal is supported on each pair of rungtapes, it being understood of course that a similar ladder tape assemblyis provided at each side of the blind so that the slats are supportedadjacent each end. With blinds having long slats, one or moreintermediate ladder tapes are used.

The distance between the vertical webs 2 and 3 is greater than the widthof the slat to give ample space for the lifting cord 8 which extendsalong the inside of one of the webs between it and the slats. Where buttwo lifting cords are used, they are placed on opposite sides of theslats, one at each end of the slats. Two lifting cords at each end ofthe slats may be used, and when this is done, a lighter cord ispreferred.

Means are provided for releasably securing each slat to at least onepair of its supporting rung tapes, so that accidental release andlongitudinal movement of the slat is prevented, but free lateralmovement of the slat is insured in automatic adjustment of its positionduring operation of the blind.

-But. one connectionbetweena. slatand the run tapes is needed to retainthe slat in perfect alignment; and this is provided by the slide 9,Figure l, which encloses both 'rung'sf'o'f the a'sso'ciated p'airasshown. It ispreferable to arrange the slides under alternate slats onone .end ofdhe blind and under-the intervening slats at the other end.

-The slide 9 is comprised of two main parts, the fastener element whichengages resiliently and releasably in'the complementary fastener elementofthe slat; and thermain bodyiportion, which furnishes a free slidewayfor and enclosesthe twin rungtapes which support it and the connectedslat.

B'ec'ause it .isve'ry. desirable to have the slats even and smooth '10facilitate'takingthem out of the ladder tapes and-putting them back; aswell as to facilitate cleaning th'em -whiledisassembled, the socketmember of'the fastener combination is preferably placed in'the slat; andin this case is merely a small roundihole 12 punched in the slat,preferably when it is cut to length. 'While one such hole'iisall thatis.needed,'it"is preferred to punchla hole at-eachend ofthefslat 'sothatit is reversible as well as removable. The "companion member of thefastener comprises a resilient stud'carried on the main body of :theslide. Figures 3, 4 and show side, top and-bottom .vi'ewsrespectivelyofthe slide, the dotted lines of Figure 3 indicating the position of thelower arm when the slide is closed about the rung tapes as in Figure 2.

The-slide is formed in suitable dies from a thin strip of hard brass,and comprises an upper arm 13 and lower arm 14* connected at one end bythe bend 16. The'free ends of the arms are provided with curved,interfitting and complementary parts 17 and 18 and the proportions and:sh'apesand tensions are such that while the slide comes from the dieswith the lowerarm open as shownin Figure 3; pressure between the thumbandfinger closes the lower :arm, seating the curvedend 18withintheicurveduend 17 Tofthe upper arm,iin which position the partsfonn a flat closedloop -and are-held resiliently together so tightlythat they are notreadily released-except with the aid of a'rnetal pry.

liIt will beinoted. that :the'l lower arm 14 inthe. open position islslightly curved I away :from the upper arm. The resilience'of themetal, the proportions of:the-bend .16, the curvature of the arm, thewidth,--length and posi- --tionofthe'hole 21 in the lower arm, and thecurvature and? proportions of the arm ends 17 and 18, are factors :whichmust-be carefully balanced to-secure a slide -which may be-easily closedover the rungs and' will' retain'its closed positionagainst' anyaccidental force, butwhich is readily pr'iedopen without injury ifopening is necessary.

.in theusual way by passing the shank of the eyeleti24,

through a hole in the slide and into the base of the stud where it locksthe parts securely together. i Because of its-structure the bird cagestud possesses considerable resilience and therefore only a simpleround'hole is --required .in the metal slat as .the complementaryfastenor element. This has great significanee,-' because 'it Jeaves.theslatclearandsmooth so'that it is handledand washed or wiped morereadily and withoutrdanger of injury to the hands or catching thecleaning cloth.

The reasonfor havingadepressed portion from which -to raise the studpart, is to have a suflicient length of stud "for flexibility withoutmaking over-all. height too great.

. In -spite..of-.-the obvious. advantages. of a smoothslat,

. itissometimes necessary, aswhere woodslatsaresused,

to 'r'eversethe fastener elements, putting the stud on'the slat and thesocket in the slide. Figures" 7," 8 and'9 'i llus trate thisarrangement.A solid stud 27 is lined in the slat 28, and is adapted toengage thesocket 29 in the slide. As best shown in Figure 9, the socket is formedas a dimple, the inturned flange 31 of which is slotted at 32 onopposite sides to increase resilience, all of which must be in thesocket, with" a solid stud. The body of the slide and:theinterlockingarmsarewthe same as explained in connection with Figure 3.

1 In'Figures 10,. 11 and "12 aslide FiSShOWD. which dilfers from that'of Figure 3' -rnainly in 'the kind of interlock between the arm ends.The flat downwardly turned end 35 .of theupperarm is ,formed with a slot3,6,;inwhich engages IllfiOllIWflfdlY rturnedaprong, 37 on the upwardlyextending end 38 of the lower arm. The parts areso proportioned andarranged that when the arms are pressed together the prongengages'the'inside of the upper arm end, and slides along it, flexingthe lower arm, until it snaps into theslot from-which it can-bedisengaged only bywapplying a distorting force to the lower arm. Anaperture 39 divides most of the lower arm into two parts, andlhisapertureis carried past the bend.41 and into the upper armcas shown. IThe lCZtSOIlJfOl this structure is to give greater resilience andflexibility to the lower arm. .This -slide is ,used where lt',iS desiredto make permanentthe connection'with the rung tapes.

In Figures 13, 14 and 15 are shown'a type of slide particularly usefulwhere itis desirable to reduce the overall thickness-of the-slide-to theminimum. This type has a two-part body which-must be assembled for acomplete structure.

A bird-cage type of stud 43 isfixed in a lower plate 44, preferably inan upwardly ofiset portion 46 as shown. Each end 47 of theplate iscurved-upwardly complementary to thedow'nwardly curved ends 48 of theupper plate 149,.thepI pQrtiOnSi-being suchthat the twomay be pressedtogether, the lower plate then being resiliently held within the upperplate. The uppenplateis formed "withsacentral aperture -.5.1 .through.Whichzthe stud 'cxtends-without. touchingto engage-in the slat hole 13,Figure-.6. Thisslideis very thin .andlies snugly against theslat withwhichitris engaged.

In: all of the slides,. it. is .de s,irable to have theirinsidc length,a small amount. less -.than theover-all width of thesupporting. twinrung tapes, so that the outer-edges or strings of the-tapes aredrawnltogether a trifle out of parallelism as shownin'Figure 1. Thishelps materially in. maintaining adesired longitudinal alignment-of theends-of the assembled slats, since it constitutes an angular guy from.each edge of each vertical web tothe stud. An important function of theslide is to move easily along the rungs of the vladdertape whenthe-slats are tipped, so ...that .the .slats-adjustthcmselvesin;parallelism as they are .a ladder .tape including a rl n structureemeans .for slidably and demountably connetingeachslat withthe rungstructureofthe ladder tape comprising, a resilient strip having .anbendadjacent .its midpoint to provide. two plates normally resilientlydivergent therefrom, interlock- .ing means onihefree ends of the platesto lock them tovgetherin spaced parallelism andiormi-ng. a closed loopwhen-the plates are ptessedtogether. about, the run g .structure, saidplatesbeing .heldbiasedlin said spaced parallelism by said interlockingmeans, and a releasable resilient fastener element disposed on one ofthe plates to releasably engage a complementary fastener element on theadjacent slat.

2. In a Venetian blind in which slats are supported by a ladder tapeincluding a rung structure, means for slidably and demountablyconnecting each slat with the rung structure of the ladder tapecomprising, a resilient strip having a bend adjacent its mid point toprovide two plates normally resiliently divergent therefrom,interlocking means on the free ends of the plates to lock them togetherin spaced parallelism and forming a closed loop when the plates arepressed together about the rung structure, said plates being held biasedin said spaced parallelism by said interlocking means, one of saidplates having a portion depressed toward the other plate, and aresilient stud comprising a releasable fastener element disposed on thedepressed portion to releasably engage a complementary fastener elementon the slat.

3. In a Venetian blind in which slats are supported by a ladder tapeincluding a rung structure, means for slidably and demountablyconnecting each slat with the rung structure of the ladder tapecomprising, a resilient strip having a bend adjacent its mid point toprovide two plates normally resiliently divergent therefrom,interlocking means on the free ends of the plates to lock them togetherin spaced parallelism and forming a closed loop when the plates arepressed together about the rung structure, said plates being held biasedin said spaced parallelism by said interlocking means, one of saidplates having an aperture therethrough to adjust its flexing resilience,the other of said plates having a portion depressed toward the aperturedplate, and a resilient stud comprising a releasable fastener elementdisposed on the depressed portion to releasably engage a complementaryfastener element on the slat.

4. In a Venetian blind in which slats are supported by a ladder tapeincluding a rung structure, means for slidably and demountablyconnecting each slat with the rung structure of the ladder tapecomprising, spaced plates normally spread apart and having resilientlyinterlocking means thereon to lock them in fixed spaced relation andcomprising a closed loop when the plates are pressed together about therung structure, said plates being biased away from each other at anangle when said interlocking means thereon is in a released condition,and a releasable resilient fastener element disposed on one of theplates of the loop for engaging a complementary releasable fastenerelement on the adjacent slat.

5. In a Venetian blind having ladder tape with rungs arranged in pairsspaced apart horizontally, means for demountably connecting the slat topairs of rungs comprising, spaced plates having resiliently interlockingmeans thereon to lock them in fixed spaced relation and comprising aclosed loop for loosely enclosing a pair of rungs, the size of the looprelative to the horizontal spac ing of the pairs of rungs being such asto draw the rungs of the pair slightly together, and a releasable snapfastener element on one of the plates of the loop to releasably engage acomplementary snap fastener element on the adjacent slat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,200,349 Walker May 14, 1940 2,317,660 Williams Apr. 27, 1943 2,381,060Kahn Aug. 7, 1945 2,455,135 Nelson Nov. 30, 1948

